Match
by Takasa
Summary: Tenten was a pretty successful matchmaker.She easily saw through people, sometimes with the help of her trusty sharp weapons.This earned her a famous reputation.So when Hyuuga Hinata of the rich Hyuuga family came for a love match, she was not surprised.
1. Prologue

Hey everybody. Since it's fanfiction, I feel obligated to write _something_ cool, funny, or interesting. So here goes.

I am ashamed to say that although I have visited countless times, I have only made an account two years ago . Of that time, it has taken me another two years to get a solid and original fanfic idea. And that brings me to now. Needless to say, I am pleased that I finally wrote a complete fanfic chapter. Enjoy! :)

Disclaimer: All characters in this story or the world of Naruto does not belong to me (characters are way too awesome for me to create), but they belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

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><p>Summary: Tenten was a pretty successful matchmaker. She easily saw through people, sometimes with the help of her trusty sharp weapons. This earned her a famous reputation. So when Hyuuga Hinata of the rich Hyuuga family came for a love match, she was not surprised.<p>

It was a bright, beautiful day. The sun was warm and inviting, with the gentlest breeze, created only to prevent uncomfortable stickiness.

Children were running about, playing with their friends. Old, experienced couples walked comfortably with their loved spouses. In short, many people were outside, and those inside were pitied.

So why was Tenten, self-proclaimed lover of the outdoors, was stuck inside doing..._work_ of all things? Well, Tenten was changed. She no longer procrastinated (Tenten puffed up her chest a little bit at this), but she did her work consistently. It could also be that Lee promised her these fantastic pair of nunchucks that she had always wanted. The only reason she couldn't get it herself was due to its hefty price.

Anyways, back to the story. Tenten, was inside during this beautiful day, doing her job, of course. Tenten was a matchmaker, and a darn good one too. But she was little more than a locally known success. But this would all change. She looked over her client, Nara Shikamaru.

When she met with him, she thought he was a little...odd to say the least. He preferred watching clouds and playing shogi than meeting a woman! He was like a old man! The only reason he met Tenten was due to this overbearing mother. Nevertheless, Tenten could tell what women would go well with Shikamaru, and had thought of only one of her clients that would be perfect.

The next afternoon, she told Nara Shikamaru to wait at Konoha Park. Shikamaru lied comfortably on top of the grass, and looked at the clouds that always gave him peace. A few minutes passed, and Shikamaru was completely absorbed in the clouds.

That is, until a feisty blonde walked up to him. "Hey," she said,"Are you Nara Shikamaru?" Shikamaru, who was annoyed that someone interrupted him, grunted a confirmation. He then continued gazing at the clouds.

The blonde pursed her lips in annoyance. She was not one to stand for disrespect. He hadn't even spoken to her, and he still managed to piss her off.

"Look, you rude, lazy bastard,"started the blonde,"get up, I'm your date today. Obviously, this was some kind of mistake." Shikamaru looked at her with a bored expression and sighed heavily at her comments. Women are always so troublesome. "What's your name?" He lazily asked. She then introduced herself as Temari no Sabaku.

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><p>A year later, Tenten was standing in the tent of Nara Shikamaru and Temari no Sabaku, delivering a speech on how they met: through her. Everyone was laughing and enjoying themselves. They had a cozy and warm private wedding. It was one of Tenten's favorite weddings.<p>

When those two married, Tenten earned a reputation. Nara Shikamaru was the heir to the Nara family, which was rich from selling medicinal ingredients. He also had the IQ of over 200, which meant he was an adviser for some very important people. Temari no Sabaku was the sister of the Kazekage, Gaara no Sabaku, and was a notorious strategist. The only person better was her new husband.

The match of these two people it's had benefits. Shikamaru introduced famous clients, and so did Temari. Pretty soon, she had set up another famous couple.

She set up Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura. That wedding was memorable for how dramatic it was. Uchiha Sasuke was a famous commander, who was vital to Konoha. Haruno Sakura was the apprentice of the famous Tsunade, and was on her way to becoming one of the world's leading medics. Their wedding was not small, at all.

It ranged from Sakura's red princess dress to Sasuke's demand that guests wore colors _except_ red and navy blue (so the bride and groom stood out). Their wedding was held at a mansion, and the table centerpieces were huge. Their wedding was screaming wealth and was awe inspiring.

Sakura then introduced Yamanaka Ino to Tenten, where Tenten set her up with Sai. The famous artist with the heir to Yamanaka Flowers. The creative couple, as Tenten liked to say. Ino was a master of ikebana (art of flower arranging) and had a wide variety of medical knowledge, as she was also a pupil of Tsunade. Sai was a famous and popular artist who specialized in painting, especially Japanese paintings. Their weddings had the most beautiful flower decorations Tenten had ever seen, and the most breathtaking colors and paintings on the tent.

These matches landed Tenten in magazines. When people found out that she set up these famous couples, she was launched into fame. There were articles describing Tenten as "a genius matchmaker...the best shot of finding love". Not that Tenten complained, of course. People started asking her for advice. Neighbors who ignored her were trying to bribe her for her _matchmaking secrets_, for Kami's sakes. Not that she had any.

So when Hyuuga Hinata, the heir to the rich and powerful Hyuuga family, she was _not_ surprised. Tenten looked across at the fidgeting bluette, and sighed. Tenten knew how uncomfortable she was. Her father, Hyuuga Hiashi, practically shoved Hinata with her application into Tenten's office with a second glance. There were always pushy parents, but _that_ had never happened before.

Tenten thought she should at least lift the awkward atmosphere. "So,"Tenten started smoothly,"what do you like to do as a hobby?"


	2. First and Only Love

Hey everybody! Thank you to all my readers out there! I was really happy with the reviews and the alerts of favoriting/subscribing. I was delighted that people like my story, since it's my first one. XD

I won't have Hinata stuttering too much here, because I don't really see her stuttering a lot in the anime/manga. Plus, it gets annoying when it's like: H-h-h-h-h-h-h-i-i-i-i m-m-m-m-y-y-y n-n-n-a-a-m-m-e-e-e i-i-s H-h-h-h-h-h-h-i-i-n-n-n-a-a-a-t-t-t-t-a-a-a. You understand my point, don't you? But she stutters when she has reason to.

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in this story/Naruto world.

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><p>Previous chapter: Tenten thought she should at least lift the awkward atmosphere. "So,"Tenten started smoothly,"what do you like to do as a hobby?"<p>

"I-I like..pressing flower petals." Hinata answered with a embarrassed face. Then silence resumed. 'Okay,'Tenten thought,'that helped..._-ish_.' Tenten caught Hinata looking at her chain mace that she hung up at the wall, right next to her weapon scrolls .

"Alright, let's get started shall we?" Tenten chirped. Gesturing towards the application Hinata held in her hand, she reached out for Hinata to hand it over. Hinata wordlessly and obediently passed her application to Tenten.

"Hyuuga Hinata. Twenty-three years old. Heir to the Hyuuga Corporations. Graduate of Konoha University." Tenten put down the application. "I'm a bit curious. You're young, smart, beautiful, and nice. So why was your father pushing you through my door? I'd understand if you were a balding middle aged man who lives with his parents, but you are clearly not."

Hinata struggled with her words. "M-my father as well as the elders in my family want me to start...m...mating (Hinata blushed at this) as soon as possible. They want me to produce an heir. I-I'm already twenty-three. My parents were _married_ at twenty-three." Hinata couldn't meet Tenten's eyes.

"T-They say I'm becoming an old maid! It's normal not to have had a boyfriend before, r-right?" Hinata whispered. Tenten was surprised to hear th- ok, no that's a lie. She had a itty bitty hunch that it was something like that, considering the reputation of the Hyuuga family. She had heard of Hyuugas getting married at a reasonably young age before.

Then again, how could she not? Tenten's mother always inquired when _she'll_ wed every time she saw the wedding announcements on the newspapers. To this day, Tenten knew not to go visit for a week when the announcement of a Hyuuga wedding came up.

"Wait, you have never been with a boy?" Tenten questioned. "N-not in that way, I-I do have _male friends_, just never a _boyfriend_." Hinata looked down and twiddled her thumbs. 'She probably thinks I'm lame. Who doesn't have dating experience or knowledge at _twenty-three years old_?' thought Hinata pessimistically.

Seeing the downward glance and the dull tint of sadness in Hinata's eyes, Tenten knew Hinata was going into 'insecure mode', something everyone ventures to from time to time. "Hinata, look at me." When Hinata's pearl eyes moved to Tenten's face, Tenten gave the girl a smile.

"You, Hyuuga Hinata are of twenty-three years of age. I am twenty-four. If you are an old maid, does that make me one? Of course not! Because we're both young. If you're worried about getting a husband or a boyfriend, ...you've come to the right place. It doesn't always take one try to find the red string of fate, you know. You have to prepared to try time after time for that perfect person. Besides my matchmaking skills, I'll need you to tell me who you like and who you don't. So I ask you. Hyuuga Hinata... are you up for the challenge?"

After a few seconds, Hinata nodded slowly. "Good! First question, and it's of the utmost importance that you answer honestly: Have you ever liked anyone? It has to be a meaningful kind of like. One where you think about the person a lot and your eyes wander to them when they're around." Hinata's face was growing red rapidly, and it amused Tenten to some extent.

"W-w-well, I-I mean. The only one I've _ever_ looked at...was a boy I met when I was young. He was k-kind. P-people were bullying me and he stood up for me, e-even though he didn't know me. H-he let people hit him. For me. I never really got the chance to thank him. Though we were classmates in Konoha Academy. After that, he disappeared." Hinata looked out at the window, and gazed at the blue sky. It reminded her so much of his eyes. His bold, gorgeous eyes.

"Konoha Academy, huh? Do you know his name, or remember what he looks like?" Tenten had her pen poised over her notepad, looking at Hinata expectantly. Hinata now sported a faraway look to her eyes.

"H-his name was Uzumaki Naruto. Oh, he had wonderful golden blond hair. It was spiky last I've seen it. He had tanned skin, and whisker marks on both of his cheeks. His smile was always genuine and so honest that it makes you feel touched to the bone. Then his eyes. Oh, those eyes! They were, and probably are, the most brilliant shade of blue on this planet." Hinata's cheeks were still flushed, but now of girlish delight.

Seeing Hinata's reaction to her descriptions, Tenten quickly deduced the _very_ obvious. Hinata had a massive crush on this dude. 'Uzumaki Naruto. Huh. That name sounds familiar...'Tenten then preceded to think very deeply.

"Oh!" Tenten slapped her desk while exclaiming. Hinata jumped, shocked at how random it was. "W-What?" Hinata asked, almost fearfully. "I have a client named Uzumaki Naruto!" Hinata couldn't hold in her excitement"R-really?" Hinata clasped her hands together in excitement.

"But I don't think he has blond hair as you described." Tenten said doubtfully. Silence dawned upon the both of them. "Eh?" Surprisingly enough, Hinata was the one to break the quiet. Tenten's body froze, but her eyes looked around, as if looking for a reasonable answer.

"Oh well! Maybe he dyed his hair! That's a logical explanation!"Tenten reassured the uneasy Hinata as well as herself. Though she herself had a inkling of doubt locked in her mind.


	3. Morning Discussions and Dates

I just finished the second chapter of Celebrity Love, and then I went straight to start this chapter. The third chapter of Match, everybody! I'm glad that people are responding so well to both my stories.

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Naruto.

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><p><em>Previous chapter: "Oh well! Maybe he dyed his hair! That's a logical explanation!"Tenten reassured the uneasy Hinata as well as herself. Though she had a inkling of doubt locked in her mind.<em>

_Ding Dong_. Hinata stirred in her sleep. _Ding Dong_. Hinata curled herself more to the bed blankets, hoping that would muffle the noise of the annoying doorbell. _Ding Dong_. Hinata tired to ignore it. Whatever they're selling, salesmen would go to the next door, right? _Ding Dong_. Hinata groaned and got out of her bed with difficulty.

She wrapped her bathrobe around her. _Ding Dong_. She sleepily walked to her door while yawning, and opened her front door. Hinata squinted her eyes. 'When did the sun get so bright?' Hinata thought absentmindedly. She looked at the person standing in front of her.

"Hey, Hinata. Sorry, did I wake you up? I'm kind of used to morning martial arts training. Anyways, can I come in?"

Hinata nodded groggily and gestured Tenten to come in. Tenten thanked Hinata, and slipped off her shoes, while excusing herself for entering Hinata's home.

"Tenten-san, can you excuse me for a few minutes?" Hinata asked, with her eyes half open.

"Sure, I'll just be sitting on this couch." Tenten patted Hinata's velvet lavender sofa, and sat down. Hinata went to her bathroom to do her morning routine of personal hygiene. Meanwhile, Tenten looked around Hinata's house. She observed the clean atmosphere, and the simple furniture. On the soft colored vanilla with a hint of pink walls, there hung framed photos.

Hinata came out of her bathroom, with her face looking fresh.

"Tenten-san, w-would you mind if we talked in the kitchen? I haven't eaten breakfast yet." Hinata blushed, embarrassed.

"Oh! Sure!" After Tenten sat down on a chair, Hinata started to make breakfast.

"So, why are you here so early, Tenten-san?" Hinata asked curiously.

"Please, drop the formalities! Just call me Tenten."

"O-ok, T-tenten." Tenten smiled at Hinata.

"I'm here to help you get ready for your date with Uzumaki Naruto." Hinata almost dropped the bowl of natto she was seasoning. She turned on the oven to heat up the miso soup in the pot on the oven top.

"Y-you mean teaching me how to speak around him?" Tenten looked surprised, then laughed.

"Well, I was thinking along the lines of picking out your outfit and giving you a pep talk. But I suppose that's alright too." Tenten remarked, amused. Hinata looked embarrassed, but that soon subsided.

"Tenten, would you like some breakfast?"

"Oh, well then don't mind if I do." Taking a portion of Hinata's breakfast, she started to talk.

"Alright, so the date's set at 12:30 PM. We are going to meet him at a restaurant downtown. For the date, are you comfortable wearing a dress? Or do you want to wear a dress on later dates?"

"Ano, l-later dates please."

"Alright. Let's get cracking." Tenten cracked her knuckles, which intimidated Hinata. 'What is she going to do?' she thought fearfully.

"Hinata, show me to your closet." said Tenten in the most commanding voice she could muster. Hinata pushed herself off the chair and lead Tenten to her room. 'What if she thinks my clothes are lame? I don't really go shopping.'

"Here's my room. The closet is over here." Hinata walked over to her closet and opened the door. Tenten peered inside the small closet. She sighed.

"We have work to do."

At 12:30 pm, Hinata and Tenten were sitting side by side in a four seater table situated in a a modern and chic restaurant. Hinata was fidgeting and Tenten was trying to calm her down.

"Hinata, don't worry, you guys will definitely get along."

"But, Tenten-" Hinata began to protest.

"Oh, look! There he is!" Hinata's eyes followed Tenten's finger and saw a figure walking towards him. The figure was a fit young man that looked to be around Hinata's age. He had wavy green hair with eyes that could be described as blue or green depending on the light. He strolled towards them in a masculine way.

"Hello, Hinata-san, Tenten-san." Hinata and Tenten greeted the man back.

"Well, I'll be sitting in that table over there. I'll leave you two alone then." Tenten walked a few tables away from theirs, and sat down, ready to observe them. Hinata didn't know what to do. This man, while handsome, did not remind her of Naruto.

"What's your favorite food?" she asked.

"I love a good homemade obento." The man gave Hinata a quick smile. Hinata was appalled.

"W-would you excuse me for a minute?" He nodded and Hinata hurried over to Tenten's table.

"What are you doing Hinata? Talk to him, not me."

"That's the problem. He's _not_ Uzumaki Naruto. Naruto-kun's favorite food in the world is ramen! He has beautiful blond spiky hair and brilliant blue eyes! While that man is-", Hinata blushed,"-handsome as well, he can't _possibly_ be Naruto-kun!" Hinata was breathing deeply.

Tenten was stunned. She shuffled through her papers. "I'm pretty sure his name is Uzumaki Naruto. Ah, here it is. It says...huh."

"What? What is it?"

"I could have _sworn."_

_"What?"_

"I thought it said Uzumaki Naruto."

"T-That's not Naruto-kun?"

"Apparently not."

"T-then who is he?" Hinata looked back at the fake Naruto, who was smiling and waving at her.

"His name is...Fujimaki Haruto." Silence dawned upon the two. By this time, both Hinata and Tenten were looking towards Fujimaki-san, who didn't have a clue what they were talking about.

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><p>After explaining the mix up to Haruto; Hinata and Tenten found themselves back to square one.<p>

The next week, Hinata was back at Tenten's office.

"I've found him, Hinata! This time, I'm sure of it! I've found your dream man!"

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><p>AN: Did you guys really think I'd make Naruto dye his hair? :D I hope you liked the twist, I know I did. xD Sorry for such a short chapter. I usually get the gist of what I want to write, but it does take me time to fully


	4. Accidental Reunion

Hey everybody! Sorry it's been so long since I put up a chapter. I've had finals, and then I was distracted by manga, then I got sick (still am a little sick), so...yeah. Also, I didn't update on Celebrity Love because I still need to think on what's going to happen. I thought of an idea for Match, so...here we are. Anyways, on with the story!

_Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of the Naruto universe._

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><p>Previous: <em>"I've found him, Hinata! This time, I'm sure of it! I've found your dream man!"<em>

"A-are you sure this time, Tenten-san?" Hinata meekly asked. "I-it was...difficult to explain the situation to Haruto." Hinata tried to subtly convey her concerns to the brunette matchmaker.

Tenten slumped on her desk and groaned briefly. "Don't remind me. I can't believe my memory's so unreliable nowadays." She quickly straightened out her posture.

"But! I am absolutely sure!" The weapon enthusiast grinned excitedly. She rummaged her the pile of papers on the right side of her desk. Finally, a piece of paper was pulled up. Tenten cleared her throat with some importance.

"Uzumaki Naruto. Blond hair. Blue eyes. Twenty-three years old. Born in Konoha on the 10th of October. Hinata-san, is this not the man you are looking for?"

Hinata, who's expression was nervous at the beginning, was giving a tender expression and was blushing prettily. Her eyes grew faint.

"It is. It really is him." Hinata smiled one of the most sincerest smile Tenten had ever seen. It pained Tenten that she had to give her a dose of reality.

"Unfortunately," Hinata, who had been stuck in a daydream, looked at Tenten worriedly.

Hinata cut in,"H-he's not married, is he?" She had a wounded expression on her face. She gasped,"Is he...d-d-dead?" Tears gathered around her eyes.

"No! No, no, no!" Tenten panicked, she didn't know Hinata would jump to conclusions like that!

"It's _nothing_ like that. Let's all just _calm down_." Hinata nodded and wiped the budding tears in her eyes.

"Anyways, the unfortunate thing is that Naruto does not live in Konoha. He lives in Suna."

"S-so, he's not married?" Tenten smiled kindly.

"No, he just lives in another city." Hinata deflated and leaned back on the plush armchair.

"So, what do we do now?" Hinata questioned. She looked up at the ceiling and sighed tiredly. Why was everything so difficult?

"I know it seems like a downer, but I do have some connections and some strings I can always pull if push comes to shove." Tenten gave a half smile.

"This was just a progress report, ok? I want you to relax for a few days while I do my magic. It might be a little difficult to locate him due to his occupation, but that's alright."

"What's his job?" Hinata curiously asked. She did wondered what job the hyperactive blond would take.

"He's a cook, apparently."

"Hmm. He did participate in a ramen competition, before." Hinata giggled at the memory.

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><p>The next two days, all Hinata did was rest and, boy was she kind of bored. It really highlighted how much getting a boyfriend would mean to her.<p>

She was at a point where her father did not allow her to work, so she could focus on the matchmaking. Now that she thought of it, some people have the opposite situation.

'Does my father really want me to get a boyfriend that desperately?' Hinata thought. She frowned and thought of what a sad situation that was.

Getting up from the sofa she was sitting in, she shuffled her way to the fridge. Humming a tune, she opened the fridge and saw an opportunity.

The fridge was almost out of vegetables! 'We can't have that!' Hinata smiled. "Groceries, it is!"

She quickly changed into casual wear and went to the grocery store.

A hour later, Hinata walked out with two heavy bags distributed evenly to each of her arms. While she was carrying groceries with her arms, she clasped the receipt in her hands, checking to see if everything was in check.

As she scanned the tiny bit of paper, she walked down the street.

"Oof!" Hinata cried out, before landing on the sidewalk. Unbeknownst to her, she accidentally walked right into someone else!

One of her grocery bags were scattered and, reflexively, she went to pick up all the food items.

"I-I'm sorry for bumping into you." Hinata said, as she put her oranges back into the bag. "I-I s-should've been looking as I walked, I'm sorry."

Hinata tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

"It's all right. Everyone does it once in a while. No harm, no foul, right?"

Hinata blushed. She didn't know why, but the stranger's voice sounded _attractive_. The voice was clear and was on the higher spectrum of a men's choir, but it still oozed masculinity. It sounded warm and, oh so, fangirl-worthy.

'Oh Kami-sama, don't let me faint on the street.' thought Hinata.

Hinata couldn't believe she was attracted to this man because of his _voice_. She risked a peek at the man.

Quietly, she gasped to herself. This man, this _man_ looked like Naruto-kun! Sunny blonde locks of hair, with _no_ indication that it was a fake. Naruto was the only one Hinata knew with this kind of blonde hair. Besides a former mayor of Konoha, (or Hokage for short) of course.

Tan golden skin gave a Greek-like god look to the man with the blue eyes. Hinata had once laid on her bed thinking of all the adjectives that described Naruto's soulful eyes. She had a hard time choosing which adjective to use now.

It was blue like the best blue in the sky. Blue like a favorite cerulean crayon in her childhood. Blue like the pool in the Hyuuga yard. Blue like the-

"Excuse me, but, are you okay?" His blue eyes looked into her eyes just as Hinata jolted back into reality.

She shivered involuntarily.

"I-I'm alright." said Hinata with a feminine glow in her cheeks.

Just then the stranger asked,"Got milk?" At that exact moment, a light breeze came by and lifted up his hair and made it seem like Hinata accidentally walked into a Got Milk commercial.

Hinata felt her face grow hot and her body become warm.

"W-What?" she asked.

He held up his hand, grasping a bit of paper Hinata recognized as the receipt.

Quickly looking down the bag she was holding, she scanned its contents.

"A-ah, no." She looked around her, discreetly avoiding the eyes of the, as her friends would say, hottie.

She spotted the milk carton a bit aways and stuffed it in the grocery bag.

"T-thank you."

Looking at the man now, Hinata saw the most distinctive feature of this man. The features that make her knees weak with realization. It was those whiskered cheeks that gave Naruto a mischievous look.

Taking in the sight of her ideal man as he stood up, she saw indications of abs under his orange t-shirt. Hinata, realizing how odd it was to sit in the middle of the sidewalk tried to standup.

But as luck would have it, the earlier weak-in-the-knees thing did not pass yet. Seeing this, the man now identified as Naruto stretched out his hand.

"Is there something wrong with your ankle?" he asked, concerned for the welfare of the pretty girl.

He pulled on her hand, gently but firmly, and succeeded in lifting Hinata on her feet. Albeit, her rather wobbly feet now.

"I don't think so. It's p-probably nothing."

"That's good." He handed Hinata her grocery bags that were sitting on the sidewalk.

"Here, your bags." He looked at her worriedly.

"Are you sure you can handle it? You were kind of unstable on your feet there."

Hinata looked down out of embarrassment. "I-I'll be fine."

Naruto looked uncertain. "Ok."

For some reason, Naruto felt reluctant to leave this woman. She had a sense of honesty and gentleness that he liked about her. The fact that she was a very attractive lady did help his opinion of her. Though she also gave a familiarity that he associated with childhood memories.

He looked down at his watch. 'This time already?' Naruto thought.

"Well, then...See you around!" With that, Naruto turned around and jogged to his old apartment in Konoha.

Hinata blushed while looking at him.

All of a sudden, her phone vibrated. Fumbling, she took out her phone and flipped it open.

"Hello?"


	5. Sadness and Happiness

Hey! I finished Celebrity Love ch. 4. So, now I'm starting Match CHAPTER FIVE! Yeah! Anyways, ignore the awkward writing then. Let's move on with the story!

P.S: Happy Lunar New Year! :D My favorite time of the year :D Festive mood, great homemade food, red envelopes, and happy family time.

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><p>Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of the <em>Naruto<em> universe.

Previous chapter: _Hinata blushed while looking at him. All of a sudden, her phone vibrated. Fumbling, she took out her phone and flipped it open. "Hello?"_

"Hinata? It's me, Tenten!" Broken out of her daze, Hinata rushed to respond to the matchmaker.

"Hello, Tenten!" Hinata was smiling radiantly, an attempt to not grin.

"Whoa, you're sounding chipper this afternoon. I could practically hear your grin from this side of the phone."

"Oh Tenten! I just had the best moment of my entire life!" Hinata sighed happily. Sliding her grocery bags a little bit to the right, she moved them till she was at the sidewalk curb. Then she proceeded to hail down a taxicab.

"Wow, best moment of your life? Well, I have some news that can _top_ that best moment...Possibly."

"Oh, I don't know. I just. Oh my goodness, it was wonderful." Hinata laid her right hand over her heart, feeling the rapid beats against her chest. Once again, she signed happily.

A taxicab responded to Hinata's call and stopped in front of her.

"Hmm, interesting. Something so great that you have not stuttered once in this entire conversation. Let me guess. You saw Uzumaki Naruto, didn't you?" Tenten jumped from her comfy swivel chair.

As Hinata loaded the paper bags into the taxicab's backseat, she gasped in awe. Getting in herself, she closed the door behind her and stated her home address to the driver.

"How did you know that?"

Tenten, on her end, chuckled smugly.

"I've got, psh, I don't know, YEARS of matchmaking experience. Please, Hinata, I'm in this business for a reason. You can't underestimate me. I hear this kind of news all the time, it's _so_ obvious through your voice."

"How many?"

"Huh?"

"How many years?" Hinata was curious to see how Tenten built up this kind of intuition.

"Well..._Technically_, I opened this business when I was 19 years old."

"So..." Hinata looked uncertain.

"What do you mean by _technically_?"

"_Well_...I started matchmaking some couples when I was younger."

"Oh, like high school?"

"Well, _yes_, but I started a little bit younger than that."

"Middle school?" Tenten could practically hear the respect piling up for her. She didn't mind it. Why no one gave her much respect in the beginning was what she _did _mind. Deciding to cut to the chase Tenten gave her answer.

"Grade school." Hinata had eyes bulging out of their sockets.

"Wow."

"But, they weren't exactly_ good _couples." Hinata was still in awe, evident in repeating her former statement of 'Wow'.

"Yes. Because of my long work history, I have to come clean. _Technically_, I _may_ have known about you and Naruto because I found out that Naruto's here for the annual Inter-village Ramen Competition."

"Oh." Tenten felt Hinata's admiration for her slip away.

"But! But! Because of yours truly, I have arranged for you to go on a date with him. I actually know a mutual friend of his, so, he did me a solid and..._yeah_." The energy that consumed Tenten had suddenly disappeared as the momentum of the statement reached it's climax.

And once again, Tenten secured admiration and awe for herself. A feat she was slightly proud of, _of course._

Arriving at her apartment building, Hinata thanked the driver and gave him his earned pay.

"_Really_? Wh-when is it?" Hinata hauled her grocery bags out, one at a time, as one of her hands was holding the cell phone to her ear.

"Tomorrow night. Close enough so you won't be too impatient. Far enough so you have time to get ready; physically, mentally, _and_ emotionally. _Booyah_! I'm good." Suddenly, and yet sort of expectantly, Tenten heard a squeak come from the phone she was holding.

Hinata; overcome by panic, fear, and excitement began to slightly hyperventilate.

'Deep breaths. _Deep breaths_.' Hinata repeated the mantra over and over in her head, till she felt she had sufficient oxygen supply.

Tenten, who already knew what she was doing (as she could kind of guess the gentle character of Hinata), listened until she no longer could hear the sound of loud breathing before asking her question.

'Sooooo, how do you feel about it? Excited? Nervous? Or is your body _flushed_ with desire to see your _one, true,_ _love_?" Tenten laughed at the end of this.

Meanwhile, Hinata had already hobbled her way to her apartment lobby, where she pressed the up button for the elevator. She felt her face feel awfully hot by the time Tenten finished her questioning.

"I-I...I!" Hinata struggled to overcome her embarrassment. Tenten laughed light heartedly.

"It's alright, no need to answer the question. It was a joke. Sort of." Hinata sighed in relief.

Tenten spoke first. "Alright, this is what I leave you with. Remember to wear some pretty dress or something, ok? I have to go, I need to do research on someone else. Bye!"

"Ok, bye bye, thank you for everything." Hinata replied respectfully.

"No prob. Good luck on your date tomorrow!" Said Tenten in a teasing manner. With that, Tenten hung up first, followed by Hinata. The elevator dinged with arrival and Hinata got on it.

It finally arrived at the 8th floor and Hinata walked to her apartment door with her grocery bags. Opening the door, she tiredly closed and locked it once she got inside. Tossing her keys to the small table next to the door, she stumbled her way to the couch, leaving her groceries at the foot of the door.

She plopped down on her comfy couch, feeling the relaxation wash over her quickly. She allowed herself to lay down for some time.

While she did harbor an immense and intense love for Naruto, she always felt it was hard to compare to the one he had a crush on when they were little. Even now, she would have this ultra private and one sided competition against Haruno Sakura.

Hinata always tried her best to be able to be compared against Sakura. Though she didn't feel that anything she did amounted to much. While it seems that wherever she went, someone was praising Sakura, she didn't feel anyone do that for herself.

There were mild depression times when she thought of Naruto and how he came to like Sakura. She could understand him not liking herself, because frankly, she didn't attract much attention. But why did he choose someone so...so..._opposite_ from herself?

It was hard to carry on hope when the _one_ clue on Naruto's ideal woman was...someone _not her_.

Hinata looked at the cream white ceiling of her apartment. How nice it would be if everything was simple and plain. She let her mind drift off to nothingness.

A few minutes later, she glanced at the grocery bags. She would have to put away the food. Sighing heavily, she pushed herself off with a groan.

Speaking plaintively, it hurts. It hurts to think about the past. The way she felt an unreachable goal when dealing with Sakura. The thought that Naruto would simply not care about her, or would rather be friends. The way she felt inferior and small when dealing with so many people.

She felt as if she didn't deserve anything. Not with her dark, gloomy appearance. Nor with the comparisons between her genius cousin and her failure self.

How could she expect so much from Naruto? He was this great ball of energy, who gave her courage, the want to breathe life so deeply. How could she expect him to love little old her? When he could have the love of someone he would much prefer?

No, she was sure he wouldn't like her by now. 'Ambition is your worse enemy', thought Hinata. This was for the better. He probably didn't remember her anyways. Would she give up hope? She didn't know. Only Naruto could bring out such emotions in her.

Her bottled feelings that she wouldn't realize if she didn't feel the misery unrequited love gave her. She never would have known how broken of a human she felt like underneath her shy exterior.

Where was the love her childhood should have had? Where was the happy memories associated with the word 'family'? Why, oh _why_ must she live up to these expectations of doing well in school, in _everything_?

It seemed like a good word to describe Hinata's life was rejection. But even so, she did not resent her family. They, themselves had problems. They were that kind of a family. Emotions did not show, and weakness was not allowed. It certainly explained why Hinata was an outcast.

She did not carry the gene to pull off a poker face. She was not calm, she was peaceful. She often showed clumsy emotions like embarrassment or nervousness. She was not exceptionally intelligent like her kinsmen. And she _certainly_ was not fit to handle the entire Hyuuga Corporation.

Lifting the grocery bags off the ground, she went to the refrigerator and set the bags near it. Hinata pulled the fridge door open and began the monotonous act of putting away the food.

Once done, she entered headed to her bedroom, towards her simple dresser and pulled out some comfortable clothes. Hinata then proceeded to take out a pair of pajamas and a clean set of underwear before heading into her bathroom to shower.

She felt like crying after that depression moment she had. And when she wanted to cry, she would take a shower. Because then she wouldn't cry. The water will cry for her, and she would let it wash away her misery and worries. She wanted to stay strong. She didn't want to cry, because she didn't want to cry due to Naruto.

Once she stepped inside the warm welcoming rain of water, she felt her attitude slowly change. Naruto was a good thing, the _greatest_ thing that walked into her life. Why did she want to cry? This won't do.

Hinata spoke aloud to herself," If Naruto doesn't like me...then, fine, it would hurt. But giving up, not giving my all, when I have the chance to receive his love, would hurt even more."

After her a long shower, Hinata turned off the faucet and stepped out of the shower, while wrapping her now freezing self in her fluffy towel. She then dried herself roughly and quickly, wanting to wear more clothes to feel heat again. After putting on clothes, Hinata wrapped her wet hair in a towel. Right after that, she heard a ding emit from her phone. Hinata walked over to her phone lying on the coffee table in the living room.

Tapping her fingers a bit, she finally accessed the text message. Hinata took a deep breath.

'It's finally happening. Reality caught up to my dreams.' She smiled and gently the phone back on the coffee table.

Walking to the kitchen, she started to prepare for dinner. Though the text message would be all that she would think of that night.

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><p><em> Hi! It's Uzumaki Naruto! Is this Hyuuga Hinata? If it's not, then...disregard this message please :P. But if this is Hinata-san, I got your phone number from...Tenten? Just texting the details of our meeting tomorrow night to you. I'll pick you up at six tomorrow, is that ok? I'm not a stalker, Tenten gave me your address and stuff, btw. It's a surprise as to where I'm taking you though ;D. I look forward to seeing you! <em>

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><p>AN: Sorry it took so long! Procrastination and homework are my excuses. So just to give you a timeline, I started this chapter right after I uploaded chapter four of Celebrity Love (can't remember when that was) and was_ intending_ to upload it on Lunar New Year's. _However,_ I already had three and a half pages typed up and I felt like more would be better. I'm still a little disappointed in the amount of words this chapter has, but it ended in a way that I liked. Also, I think you guys might know that I'm that kind of mean author to leave cliffhangers here and there. :P


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